The Potion Princess

Mad-Eye Moody

It does not take long for lessons to begin full swing. 

Audra does not regret spending the night spread across a grimy bathroom floor, but she doesn't like to have to face the knowledge that she probably won't be able to catch up on sleep until the Winter break.  Most of the time she thought it was worth it, because it repaired whatever small rifts had cropped up between her and the twins over summer break, but when faced with the growing pile of homework she has yet to do and the sheer exhaustion weighing her eyelids down, she can't help but think it was the smartest decision, albeit a very Gryffindorish one.

It's Defense Against the Dark Arts today, the first one they have with Mad-Eye.  There's been a quiet apprehension among the sixth years when they discussed it.  It's all been in quiet whispers, but soon they compare notes with each other, stories about how he lost his eye and how he almost died when his leg was cursed off and who exactly took that chunk of his nose.  The other students whisper in fear, talking about his paranoia, his rage, his supposed mental troubles, but Audra knows better than to be afraid of him.  He was famous among death eaters for never killing unless someone else's life was in danger.  Half the cells in Azkaban were filled because of him, but there were a lot less graves that had to be dug than if he had followed Crouch's regulations. 

They're with the Gryffinodrs again, something that made many of her house mates grumble, but Audra's face split into a smile when she saw Fred and George.  They'd saved her a seat, and Audra didn't waste any time in dragging Emmeline towards it, ignoring her obvious intent to sit somewhere closer to the back.  "What do you reckon?"  George asks as soon as he gets close.  "Think he's going to be good?  Or completely bonkers?"

"Dad thinks he's someone worthy of covering for, he must be good."  Fred says, who had such family loyalty that anyone held in respect by any other member of the family translated into unwavering faith by him.  "Got him out of trouble the day we left for Hogwarts, remember?"

"Your dad's favorite birthday present was also a muggle clock that doesn't tick, he's got some strange interests."  Emmeline added.  Before, this might have been something that caused an awkward pause between the four of them as Audra scrambles to bridge the gap between her friends, but now there was just indulgent smiles and a continued discussion of Mad-Eye Moody's many escapades.

Their group isn't the only one talking, filling the room with chatter and different spells.  It's filled with every trademark that comes with an unattended classroom- yelling, paper airplanes, vanished chairs that cause the occupant to crash to the floor.  They settle down the minute that  Professor Moody walks in, all of them returning to their seats and swallowing whatever words they were just about to shout.  George's paper bird falls to the floor with a flutter, and he leans back into his chair, looking a little unsure and more than a little afraid.

Moody walked to the front of his desk, wooden leg thumping on the ground, electric blue eye swiveling to stare at them each in turn.  It rests on her longer than it does the others, and when he turns to face them all again, she swears that it is her that he is talking to.  Audra can tell that he is drinking in the sight of her, as so many do, the unruly hair that never stays in one place, the pale skin, the dark eyes and sharp cheekbones.  He knows this face, had seen it before on a very different woman at a very different time.  She wonders who he is seeing now- her, or her aunt.

"You're all sixth years?"  He asked, voice harsh and rough, finally tearing himself away from her.  Emmeline gives her foot a nudge under the table, the only thing that makes her sure that she hadn't imagined his attention.

"Yes, sir."  Lee says, leaning forward eagerly.  "Slytherins and Gryffindors."

"Then I suppose you're old enough to know that times are changing.  Dark things are gathering."  He takes out a flask, drinks from it, shudders.  "The ministry doesn't want you to know.  Thinks you're too young, too naive, too innocent to know what we're up against."